Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has announced that more than 8,400 children across the province have received free heart surgeries under the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program. He said the initiative, launched under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has provided life-saving treatment worth billions of rupees to families who could not afford it. Chairing the 102nd meeting of the Punjab Health Initiative Management Company (PHIMC) on Saturday, the minister said the programme is also benefiting children from across Pakistan. “Under this landmark initiative, 350 children from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 170 from Azad Kashmir, 88 from Islamabad, 66 from Balochistan, 25 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 18 from Sindh have undergone free cardiac surgeries in Punjab,” he said.
Khawaja Salman Rafique further highlighted the achievements of the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Program, under which 455 renal transplants, 246 cochlear implants, 142 liver transplants, 16 bone marrow transplants and 6 corneal transplants have been carried out, all free of cost.
He added that more than one million dialysis sessions have also been provided without charge under the Chief Minister’s Dialysis Program, and over 29,700 patients have been registered for ongoing treatment.
The minister said the Punjab government is committed to taking “historic and fundamental steps” in the health sector to ensure the best medical facilities for the people. “All resources are being utilized to strengthen healthcare services and provide relief to patients,” he noted.
Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education, Azmat Mahmood Khan, who joined the meeting via video link, directed that hospitals must ensure maximum facilities for patients and promptly resolve any issues they face.
The meeting was attended by CEO Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr. Saqib Aziz, CEO PHIMC Dr. Ali Razaq, Dr. Adnan Khan, Dr. Zahid Pervez, Dr. Shujaat Ali, Parveen Agha and other senior officials. Additional Secretary Finance Khurram Aziz, PITB Director Nosheen Fayyaz and Member Health P&D Shafaat Ali also participated through video link.